


Fine

by doctornineandthreequarters



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Making Up, Marriage Proposal, Unresolved Emotional Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:22:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27801484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctornineandthreequarters/pseuds/doctornineandthreequarters
Summary: Things between them had been tense lately. Eddie wasn’t really sure what had started it all. Maybe it was some dirty dishes in the sink. Maybe it was a call that could’ve gone wrong at work. Whatever it was, it had led to countless squabbles and arguments, to the point that Christopher was noticing and asking if they were okay.So, things weren’t great. Eddie knew they were heading to a boiling point, to a place where something was going to erupt between them. Eddie just didn’t expect it to happen like this.---Or, tensions between Buck and Eddie come to a head in a surprising way.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 233





	Fine

It started with the wine.

They were deciding on a bottle or two to bring to Maddie and Chimney’s apartment. Maddie was having a no kids dinner party, a first since she had given birth. And since Maddie hadn’t spent that much time away from her new baby and was entrusting the Lee’s to babysit Joy for the whole evening, meaning Joy would be away from Maddie, Maddie was a little on edge. And of course, she was passing that stress to Buck. 

Of course, Buck was also on edge. They both were. They had been for a little while now. Eddie had thought that moving in together would’ve meant positive steps forward in their relationship. And at first, it had been. They had finally felt like a real family; Buck and Eddie coming home from work together, helping Christopher with his homework, having dinner together, and then ending the night all together on the couch. 

But things between them had been tense lately. Eddie wasn’t really sure what had started it all. Maybe it was some dirty dishes in the sink. Maybe it was a call that could’ve gone wrong at work. Whatever it was, it had led to countless squabbles and arguments, to the point that Christopher was noticing and asking if they were okay. 

So, things weren’t great. Eddie knew they were heading to a boiling point, to a place where something was going to erupt between them.

Eddie just didn’t expect it to happen like this. 

“What are you doing?” Eddie looked up from the bottle he was holding. He wasn’t much a wine drinker, preferring beer or hard liquor over it. But if he was going to have wine, it was going to be dry and red. And Carla had told him about this great Cabernet that if he had to drink wine, he’d go for that.

“Just grabbing that cabernet that Carla recommended to me,” Eddie said, showing the bottle to Buck. “I thought we could bring it.”

“Eddie, it’s a red.” Eddie furrowed his brows. “Maddie’s serving fish. You can’t have fish with red wine, everyone knows that.”

“You only know that because Bobby taught you that.” Buck rolled his eyes and Eddie stood his ground, holding onto the bottle of wine. “Look, we need to bring a white. I bought this Riesling earlier just for tonight.”

“Buck, I hate white wine.”

“This isn’t about what you hate or don’t hate,” Buck said with a huff. “If you bring that wine, you’ll look like a total dunce.” Eddie growled at that but Buck didn’t back down. 

“How about this,” Eddie said, just as much annoyance in his tone as Buck’s. “I’ll bring the red and you bring the white.” Buck went to say something, but Eddie cut him off. “That way, you still get to be right and I still get to get drunk.”

“Fine,” Buck said with a huff, storming off to get his wine.

“Fine.” Eddie let out a breath, gripping the bottle of wine in his hand. He took another breath, trying to calm down. They didn’t need to get into a squabble right before they were going to see their friends. It was just wine, everything would be fine.

And then, there was the cab.

They had gotten an Uber to Maddie and Chimney’s, since both wanted to enjoy their evening. Buck had made a snarky remark that they had to take an Uber since Eddie had already claimed he was going to get drunk and Eddie had just shot his boyfriend a glare before pulling up the app. 

The ride was silent, neither wanting to say anything to the other. Eddie knew it was better that way. They had already had one fight that evening, they didn’t need to start another. So, for a while, the only sound in the car was the driver humming and an occasional huff of breath from either of them.

And then, they get stuck in traffic. 

“Damn it,” Buck mumbled as he glanced down at his phone. 

“It’s fine,” Eddie said, knowing Buck was frustrated about the traffic and being late, among other things. 

“It’s not fine,” Buck shot back. “I told Maddie I would be there to help her set up and now we’re late.” Eddie glanced out the window, not wanting Buck to see him roll his eyes at Buck’s impatience. “Excuse me, do you think you could get off the freeway and try the streets instead?”

“Buck.” Eddie looked back at Buck, who just shot him a look. “It’s LA, there’s traffic. Just relax.” Buck glared at Eddie before looking back at the driver. The driver just nodded and made his way to the nearest exit from the freeway. “That’s not going to make this any faster.”

“You don’t know that,” Buck countered. “And you also don’t have Maddie bugging you about making this evening perfect.”

“Well you could reassure her instead of also being a nervous wreck.”

“I am not a nervous wreck!”

“No, you’re being an asshole.” Buck glared at Eddie, ready to say something, when the car stopped. Buck groaned as he stared at the traffic before him. “See, no difference.”

“Shut up.” Buck looked down at his phone as Eddie just shook his head. He wasn’t sure why they were so adversarial lately. Normally, when they got into an argument, they both stewed on it and then eventually apologized. But lately, it was like they never got to the apology, like the stewing on it just made things worse. And dating or not, things had never been like that for them. There were only two times Eddie could recall when he and Buck were on bad terms for such a long period of time; when Eddie first started working at the 118 and the lawsuit. But, unlike those times, there was no reason why they were at each other’s throats lately. And maybe the unknowing of that was adding fuel to the already never-ending fire. 

“We’re not even going in the right direction,” Eddie said, never one to back down from a fight. He had thought his fighting days were over, but clearly whatever was wrong with the two of them was bringing up that old rage that he thought he had dealt with. 

“There was traffic!”

“And now we’re going the wrong way!”

“You know what,” Buck growled, an intensity in his eyes that Eddie didn’t recognize. He looked away from Eddie towards the driver. “Can you just pull over? I think walking would do us both some good.”

“Fine.”

“Fine!” The car came to a stop and Eddie saw relief on the driver’s face as they got out. Buck just slammed the door and started walking. Eddie shook his head for what felt like the millionth time and just walked in step with him. Eddie glanced at Buck, who was doing his best to ignore him. Even in the silence, everything felt wrong. It felt like Eddie didn’t even know the person next to him. It felt like something was corroding their relationship, destroying it from the inside. Eddie took a breath, ready to say something.

And then, it started to rain. 

“Are you kidding me?” Buck shouted out as the rain started to drop down on them. Maybe it was how things were going, but it felt like the rain was coming down in biblical proportions, pelting them from every angle. And while most people, like Buck in the current moment, would be pissed off by it. Eddie was almost transfixed. Not by the rain, but by his boyfriend in the rain.

Eddie still vividly remembered that first day, his first day at the 118, when he first saw Buck. Even with a sneer on his face (because Buck was territorial and a little jealous), Eddie knew Buck was one of the most gorgeous people he had ever seen. But beyond his looks, Eddie just wanted Buck to like him. He wanted everyone at the 118 to like him, but winning Buck over had felt important, even back then. Of course, if Eddie had known that a smile and a compliment was all it took, he would’ve flashed his pearly whites straight away. 

Eddie knew how important Buck was to him. Buck was his everything, after Christopher, of course. He wanted to spend every moment with Buck. He wanted mornings and nights. He wanted to know that Buck was his and he was Buck’s. 

He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Buck. 

That thought alone had Eddie stopping dead in his tracks. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Buck. He had thought that the idea of marriage was long gone for him, after everything that had happened in his life. But even as Buck grumbled about the rain and yelled about wine, Eddie loved him and wanted to spend every moment with him. 

“This is really fantastic!” He was pulled out of his thoughts by Buck shouting, his clothes drenched from the rain. It was then that Buck noticed that Eddie had stopped. Buck made an annoyed noise as he made his way back over to Eddie, a pissed off look on his face. “Really, super freaking fantastic. We’re late for Maddie’s dinner party, which means Chim is going to give me a hard time. And the rain’s not letting up, which means we’re going to look ridiculous when we arrive. And instead of walking, you’re just, what, standing there? Not moving?” When Eddie didn’t say anything, Buck just threw his hands up. “You know what, forget it. Just give me the wine.”

“What?”

“You want to stand out in the rain, fine,” Buck said with a huff. “But I’m not going to get sick because of your stupidity and I’m certainly not going to be anymore late than we already are. Give me the wine.” He held his hand out but when Eddie didn’t hand it over, he groaned. “Fine, whatever. You wanted the stupid cabernet, then bring it yourself you…”

“Shut up Buck and marry me!”

“Fine!” Eddie’s eyes went wide. “Wait, what?” They stared at each other for a second, shock and confusion etched on their faces. Eddie swallowed, trying to control his racing heart. Realizing he wanted to marry Buck didn’t mean he needed to scream it out in the middle of the street, especially not during a fight. And yet, here they were, Eddie’s declaration hanging between them, along with Buck’s answer. 

“You…”

“I know.”

“You can’t just…”

“Buck, I know!” They continued staring at each other, not sure what to do. Then, Eddie sighed. “Look, we’re soaking wet. Can we just call an Uber and deal with all of this at home? Please?” At his last statement, the tension seemed to melt from Buck’s shoulders. He just nodded and they quickly took shelter under a nearby tree. As they waited for their car, their silence only continued. Eddie couldn’t help but panic, feeling everything tense up in his body. He knew Buck wasn’t going to say anything until he spoke first and Eddie didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to fix what felt like was broken and he certainly didn’t know how to explain what he had just screamed at Buck.

The silence only continued in the Uber, Buck staring out the window as Eddie mulled over everything. He loved Buck, he knew that for sure. But he also knew something was really wrong. And the only way to fix that was to talk, to really figure things out. They had to be open and honest, something Eddie always struggled with. 

But it was worth it for Buck. It was worth it for this man that he loved. 

“We should probably both change.” They were back in the house when Buck finally broke the silence. It was the first thing Buck had said to him since they had been standing out on the street in the rain. And Eddie could only nod, noticing how Buck could only sigh at his nonverbal response. They fell back into silence as they dried off and changed into dry clothes. 

Finally, once they were both changed and quietly sitting in the living room, Eddie spoke. 

“Things aren’t okay between us,” Eddie said. “I think we both can see that, can see how bad things have gotten.”

“Moving in together was supposed to be a good thing,” Buck said sadly. “But instead, it’s almost like we’re at each other's throats all the time. And I don’t even know why. Don’t you want to share your life with me?”

“Of course I do,” Eddie said, wanting nothing more to reach for Buck, to comfort him. But he was the one who had caused that hurt. So it didn’t feel right to reach for him at that moment. “I love you Buck. I..I want to share my life with you. I want everything with you.”

“Then why…”

“I don’t know,” Eddie said with a huff. “Because doing that is hard and it takes communication and you know I’m awful at that. But I don’t want to be that guy. I don’t want to be the guy who stews in his rage.” It was then that Buck reached out for him and Eddie melted into the touch.

“Eddie, you have to talk to me,” Buck implored, his thumb caressing Eddie’s cheek. “I can’t force you to open up or be honest. You have to do that.”

“I know,” Eddie said. “Maybe I need to go back and see Frank.” Buck smiled a little and Eddie leaned into his hand, which was cradling his cheek.

“Maybe we need to see him together,” Buck said. “Or some type of therapist together.” Eddie just watched him and Buck sighed. “You’re not the only one with issues, you know.”

“You hate therapy, more than I do.”

“Yeah, but I love you,” Buck said. “And I’d do just about anything to show you that.” Nothing could stop Eddie from closing the distance between the two, pressing his lips against Buck’s in a searing kiss. Buck just moved his hands, his fingers knotting in Eddie’s shirt, as he kissed him back with an equal fervor. A kiss, even a good kiss like that, wouldn’t fix everything. But the knowledge that they both wanted to fix things and wanted to put the work in, well that certainly was a good start.

“I love you so much,” Eddie murmured as they pulled away, their foreheads pressed together. Buck just smiled, pressing a feather-light kiss to Eddie’s lips. 

“There is one more thing we have to talk about,” Buck said, pulling away just slightly to look into Eddie’s eyes. Eddie looked down at his hands, remembering what he had basically screamed at Buck in the middle of the rainstorm. “Did you mean it?” Eddie looked up at him, searching those perfect blue eyes that he loved. 

“Yes.” Buck went to say something, but Eddie kept going. “I know it was the least romantic way to say it and it’s definitely not something that should be said while we were fighting, but yes Buck, I meant it. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Then my answer is yes.” Eddie’s eyes went wide and Buck just smiled, a chuckle escaping past his lips. “You asked me to marry you and I’m saying yes.”

“Are you sure?” Eddie asked. Twenty minutes ago, they had been fighting. And as much as he loved Buck, he didn’t want Buck just saying yes because he felt he had to. 

“Of course I’m sure,” Buck said, taking Eddie’s hands in his. “Stupid arguments and bad communication aside, I love you Eddie. I love this life we’re building together. I love getting to come home to you and Christopher. I want to spend the rest of my life with you too. Of course my answer is yes.”

Eddie surged forward, kissing his boyfriend, his fiancee now. Buck responded in kind, tugging Eddie closer to him. After everything they had been through, every stupid argument and fight, Eddie was thrilled that this was where they ended up. That this was their future. 

“We need to celebrate,” Buck said, pulling away from Eddie. He pressed a chaste kiss to Eddie’s lips before getting up. “And I need to text my sister.” Eddie chuckled as he followed after Buck into the kitchen. Buck typed out a quick text to Maddie before depositing his phone on the counter. 

Then, he grabbed the red wine. 

“The cabernet?”

“Well you do love it,” Buck said. “And I love you. So, that’s good enough for me.” And Eddie could only smile, so completely gone on the man before him. 

It ended with two glasses of red wine and Eddie and Buck on the couch, happy and in love.

**Author's Note:**

> [Scream with me on my Tumblr?](https://doctornineandthreequarters.tumblr.com%22)


End file.
